The corruption scandal surrounding former Executive Yuan secretary-general Lin Yi-shih has become more and more intense in recent days, publicly exposomg top government officials for what they truly are. However, at the end of the day, it is the public that suffers the most in such scandals. This latest scandal has deepened distrust among people, confused personal values, and impaired personal judgment to the point of self-deception.

In the wake of these scandals and trends, we can say with confidence that only an encounter with God can change people. There are many teachings in Proverbs about moral living and establishing a good reputation. There are also many teachings about humility, contentment, and avoiding the snare of evil people. Though many books have been written on moral living and sacrifice, personally experiencing these truths is necessary for them to sink in. After all, these wise sayings were products of men’s experiences in the first place.

The PCT recently concluded its annual “I Love Taiwan Mission”. This year’s summer mission camp was attended by many youths from various countries. As in previous years, they worked in collaboration with local churches and presbyteries and learned about being faithful starting from the little things in life. This mission also gave small, indigenous churches opportunities to serve and host people from other countries and learn from such an experience. Their stories are valuable lessons for our kids and adults.

One of the touching stories that emerged from the recent MEBIG tour of Taiwan was a story about love and sacrifice. According to reports, there was a mother whose 3 children were part of the cast but the woman could only afford to send 2 children to this tour. After team’s leader, a pastor, learned about this, he asked them to pray about this situation individually. In the end, the eldest brother volunteered to stay home because he heard God tell him to “love others as you love yourself”. When this pastor passed away from cancer recently, he requested that his seat be given to someone willing to sacrifice for other people’s sake and it was given to the boy who had volunteered to stay home. Such a poignant and true story is better than reading and memorizing thousands of adages.

For those of us struggling to walk in integrity while living in this society that seems to be headed the same way as Sodom, there is still hope in the horizon. Remember the life story of Chen Ting-nan? He was the hardworking, meticulous, and honest politician who didn’t give up and wasn’t afraid to confront big corporations. His legacy is the preservation of the pristine waters of Ilan county, which we still enjoy to this day. Let his life and legacy be our inspiration.

As the exam season ends and the rest of the summer lies before us and fresh controversies continue to be exploited, it is our hope that, besides feeling sorry for what this society has become, Christians can rise up and become people of influence and good works so that others may see it and give glory to God.